Vanilla Slice

Ingredients

Puff pastry sheets

2 sheets

Milk

2 cups

Vanilla bean

1, split and seeded

Sugar

3/4 cup

Cornflour (cornstarch)

1/4 cup

Egg yolks

4

Unsalted butter

2 tablespoons

Icing sugar (powdered sugar)

1 cup

Water

2-3 tablespoons (for icing)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the puff pastry sheets on it. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
2. In a saucepan, combine the milk and the vanilla bean along with the seeds. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour until smooth. Gradually whisk in the hot milk mixture, ensuring there are no lumps.
4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens and comes to a gentle boil. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the unsalted butter until melted and well combined. Allow the custard to cool slightly.
6. Pour the custard over one sheet of the cooled puff pastry, smoothing it out evenly. Carefully place the second puff pastry sheet on top, pressing down gently to adhere.
7. In a bowl, combine the icing sugar with enough water to make a smooth, pourable icing. Spread the icing evenly over the top layer of puff pastry.
8. Refrigerate the Vanilla Slice for at least 2 hours, or until fully set. Once set, slice into squares or rectangles and serve chilled.